Japan’s Mitsui Chemicals to expand PP capacity for automotive apps

14 May 2012 08:18[Source: ICIS news]

TOKYO (ICIS)--Japanese producer Mitsui Chemicals plans to increase its production capacity of polypropylene (PP) for automotive applications by a total of 63,000 tonnes/year throughout the ?xml:namespace>US, Mexico and China because of an increase in global demand, the company said on Monday.

The automotive-use PP capacity of Ohio-based subsidiary, Advanced Composites, in the US, will be expanded to 254,000 tonnes/year from 226,000 tonnes/year by constructing a new 28,000 tonne/year production line, expected to start commercial production in the third quarter of 2013, Mitsui Chemicals said.

Advanced Composites Mexicana in Aguas Calientes, Mexico, will build a 25,000 tonne/year PP line to increase the total capacity at the site to 70,000 tonnes/year from 45,000 tonnes/year, aiming for a start-up in the forth quarter of 2013, the company added.

Mitsui Advanced Composites (Zhongshan) in Guangdong, China, will build a 10,000 tonne/year PP unit to boost its total capacity to 70,000 tonnes/year from 60,000 tonnes/year, Mitsui Chemicals said. The plant is scheduled to be brought on stream in the fourth quarter in 2013.

The move was made to enhance Prime Polymer’s presence in the South American market and further strengthen and expand its automotive-use PP business, the company added.

Produmaster has a total automotive-use PP capacity of 55,000 tonnes/year, which includes 38,000 tonnes/year produced at its plant in Maua, Sao Paulo, and 17,000 tonnes/year produced by its subsidiary Produmaster Advanced Composites Nordeste Industria e Comercio de Compostos Plasticos in Camacari, Bahia.